GREENVILLE, S.C. – Purdue baseball was unable to cash in with the bases loaded and no outs in the third inning and did not create another quality scoring opportunity against the opposing Friday ace, dropping its series opener with No. 19 Michigan 9-1 at Fluor Field.
Beginning with a towering two-run homer in the fourth inning, the Wolverines (4-1) scored eight unanswered runs to finish the game.
Purdue (1-4) sent seven men to the plate in the third inning, but Evan Albrecht's RBI double as the second batter of the frame produced the only run. Ben Nisle followed with a single and Albrecht was able to successfully scamper back to third base safely on a subsequent comebacker. Michigan ace Steven Hajjar (1-0) regrouped and retired the Boilermakers' 5-6-7 hitters in order. Hajjar won a nine-pitch battle with Mason Gavre on a full-count offering, induced a pop up from Zac Fascia and struck out Kyle LaPlante to end the inning.
Purdue starter Trent Johnson (0-1) needed only 40 pitches to complete the first three frames, working a pair of 1-2-3 innings in the process. Michigan enjoyed more productive swings the second and third time they got to face Johnson, beginning with cleanup hitter Griffin Mazur's home run in the bottom of the fourth that broke the 1-1 tie.
Johnson pitched into the bottom of the sixth, but the Wolverines went on to score in three consecutive innings, punctuated by a four-run rally after chasing Johnson. Two errors plus a passed ball on a dropped strike three helped extend the big inning.
After failing to get an out on the third-inning comebacker that loaded the bases, Hajjar went on to retire 11 of the final 12 batters he faced. He faced the minimum over that stretch as Purdue's lone base runner was erased by a double play. Previously, the Boilermakers had six men reach safely against him over a span of 10 batters.
The series continues Saturday with a doubleheader at 9 a.m. ET. Game 1 of the twinbill is scheduled to be seven innings.
FRIDAY NOTABLES
• Ben Nisle made a diving catch in left field for the second out of the second inning. It was his third diving catch in the first six games. Offensively, he doubled and reached base safely three times as part of a 2-for-3 showing.
• Miles Simington singled in his first and final at-bats. He's the lone Boilermaker to hit safely in every game early this season, giving him a six-game hit streak dating back to the finale of the abbreviated 2020 campaign.
• Skyler Hunter drew a leadoff walk in front of Evan Albrecht's double in the third inning, extending his reached base safely streak in Big Ten play to 11 consecutive games dating back to May 2019.
• Michigan turned three double plays, two of the traditional ground-ball variety. Simington into a line shot into left field in the fifth inning that also turned into a twin killing. Nisle was doubled off at second base after the catch by Tito Flores.
Beginning with a towering two-run homer in the fourth inning, the Wolverines (4-1) scored eight unanswered runs to finish the game.
Purdue (1-4) sent seven men to the plate in the third inning, but Evan Albrecht's RBI double as the second batter of the frame produced the only run. Ben Nisle followed with a single and Albrecht was able to successfully scamper back to third base safely on a subsequent comebacker. Michigan ace Steven Hajjar (1-0) regrouped and retired the Boilermakers' 5-6-7 hitters in order. Hajjar won a nine-pitch battle with Mason Gavre on a full-count offering, induced a pop up from Zac Fascia and struck out Kyle LaPlante to end the inning.
Purdue starter Trent Johnson (0-1) needed only 40 pitches to complete the first three frames, working a pair of 1-2-3 innings in the process. Michigan enjoyed more productive swings the second and third time they got to face Johnson, beginning with cleanup hitter Griffin Mazur's home run in the bottom of the fourth that broke the 1-1 tie.
Johnson pitched into the bottom of the sixth, but the Wolverines went on to score in three consecutive innings, punctuated by a four-run rally after chasing Johnson. Two errors plus a passed ball on a dropped strike three helped extend the big inning.
After failing to get an out on the third-inning comebacker that loaded the bases, Hajjar went on to retire 11 of the final 12 batters he faced. He faced the minimum over that stretch as Purdue's lone base runner was erased by a double play. Previously, the Boilermakers had six men reach safely against him over a span of 10 batters.
The series continues Saturday with a doubleheader at 9 a.m. ET. Game 1 of the twinbill is scheduled to be seven innings.
FRIDAY NOTABLES
• Ben Nisle made a diving catch in left field for the second out of the second inning. It was his third diving catch in the first six games. Offensively, he doubled and reached base safely three times as part of a 2-for-3 showing.
• Miles Simington singled in his first and final at-bats. He's the lone Boilermaker to hit safely in every game early this season, giving him a six-game hit streak dating back to the finale of the abbreviated 2020 campaign.
• Skyler Hunter drew a leadoff walk in front of Evan Albrecht's double in the third inning, extending his reached base safely streak in Big Ten play to 11 consecutive games dating back to May 2019.
• Michigan turned three double plays, two of the traditional ground-ball variety. Simington into a line shot into left field in the fifth inning that also turned into a twin killing. Nisle was doubled off at second base after the catch by Tito Flores.